Reassessment
by Songbird's Desk
Summary: Sam's only been in command for 3 days. She has yet to realise that the people she knew before they left for Atlantis are no longer the same, especially Rodney McKay...No ship.


Samantha sat back in her chair with a sigh, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Chuck?"

The technician jogged across the walkway and stuck his head into the office. "Ma'am?"

"Where's the nearest full coffee pot?"

Chuck checked his watch. "This time of morning? We're looking at the Mess Hall."

Sam frowned and checked her own clock. "4am? I've been here for 12 hours?"

"Yes, ma'am." Chuck grinned. "I thought about pointing out the time to you at around 2, but then I remembered all the horror stories General O'Neill told me about disturbing you."

Sam rolled her eyes, standing. "Haha. I'll be on my way to the Mess Hall, then."

"Give us a buzz if you get lost." Chuck left with a chuckle.

Sam strode through the other office door, into the corridors of Atlantis. After only 3 days, she was still getting lost in the labyrinthine passages of the city. The technicians were happy to help a lending hand when called for, and made sure that the rest of the expedition didn't find out, particularly Rodney.

Nodding a greeting to a passing Dr Keller, Sam entered the Mess Hall, surprised at how many people were actually awake and present. Spotting a bleary Radek Zelenka, she dropped into a seat opposite after grabbing her mug of coffee. "Zelenka."

Radek blinked at her sleepily. "Samantha." He stifled a yawn. "You're up early."

Samantha grinned sheepishly. "Never went to bed. But, so are you."

Radek shrugged. "Eh. Always up this time. Habit from Rodney."

The Colonel raised a brow. "Rodney? Getting up at this ridiculous hour?"

Radek frowned. "He is not the same man that was on Earth, Samantha. He is, what do you call it…? A changed man."

Samantha snorted. "Not to bad talk my colleagues, but Rodney's the same as he ever is."

"And you know this in three days?" Radek stood. "Come."

Frowning, Samantha followed as he led the way out of the Mess Hall. "What are we doing?"

"I'm showing you that you must throw out any knowledge you have of people you knew before they came to Atlantis." Radek answered as they entered a Transporter. "The city has a tendency to change people if they stay here long enough." He took a long swig of his own coffee, leading her out of the Transporter and to an alcove.

Samantha looked around. "Now what?"

Radek grinned. "We wait. Rodney, John and Ronon should be passing within the next 5 minutes."

Samantha raised a brow. "Passing?"

Radek shrugged. "When Ronon joined the team, he and John started to run daily around the city. Elizabeth allowed them to jog along the unexplored sections of the city, and they reported back any finds they made. They still do it now, reporting into Chuck every 15 minutes, letting him know where they are. It's why Chuck prefers the early morning shift."

"But that doesn't explain Rodney." Samantha cupped her coffee mug, seeking it's warmth for her cold hands.

"There was an incident a few years back. Rodney ended up sharing his body with Lieutenant Laura Cadman for a few days. They unfortunately picked up a few of one another's habits after they were separated."

"Cadman?"

Radek flapped a hand. "She's been reassigned to Earth. But that is beside the point. The point is, Laura was a track star in college. Rodney picked that up. Here they come." He made a shushing gesture as the sound of three pairs of running feet came their way.

Samantha watched in shocked awe as the three men ran past gracefully, even Rodney. "That was…"

Radek shrugged. "Like I said, Atlantis changes people." He drained his coffee. "Now that you've seen that, I'll be on my way to my lab." He left the alcove.

"Wait!" Samantha jogged to catch up with the other scientist. "So, you're saying that Rodney's changed?"

"Oh, he runs daily, eats healthier, drinks a little less coffee, and doesn't whine as much." Radek grinned. "But he still whines." He toasted her with his empty coffee mug and vanished into the Transporter.

Samantha stared at the Transporter doors thoughtfully, mulling over all that she'd been told by the scientist. Maybe he was right, and she had to reassess the assumptions she'd entered Atlantis with. With a sigh, she entered the Transporter, stabbing at the dot that would take her to the Central Tower. She needed to talk to Chuck about getting patched into the 15 minute check-ins.


End file.
